Disagreement in teams is inevitable.

When people with distinct styles and ideas come together to tackle complex challenges, opposition is bound to surface. What happens next is pivotal.

Sometimes conversations about differences become defensive. If a climate of distrust sets in, cohesion and performance spiral downward.

While disagreement is unavoidable, stagnation is not!

High performance teams actually thrive on differences. These teams include multiple voices in decisions and collaboratively align diverse styles and talents toward a clear purpose.

OK, sounds good…but how does this happen? Can we systematically move from discord to harmony? Even when teams are stuck in cynicism? The appreciative model says 'yes'.

This transformation emerges from a fundamental shift in focus: from deficits to strengths, problems to possibilities, criticism to appreciation. The guiding question moves from "What's wrong, how do we fix it"? to "What's great, how do we do it even more"?

Traditional team improvement often begins by assessing what isn't working so gaps can be repaired. The metaphor operating in this approach is "team as machine": if all the parts are working, the mechanism returns to its previous "unimpaired" functioning.

By contrast, an appreciative approach starts with a series of questions about what is working, in order to uncover the root causes of team success. The group then plans its future by expanding and sustaining the resources in its unique "positive core". The working metaphor here is the team as an evolving, expanding mystery with untapped possibilities. Instead of just regaining its previous level, an appreciative process aims for unprecedented breakthroughs toward the team's highest potential.

A Powerful Tool: Appreciative Interviews (AI)

Discover - inquire about the best of what is

Dream - envision how the team might be

Design - how the dream can become reality

Deliver - put in place new roles, procedures, and processes

Applications

The appreciative team process is useful in almost any kind of team initiative:

Newly formed teams that want to quickly establish effective roles, responsibilities and norms
Teams aiming for more effective collaboration
Ongoing project teams facing special challenges
Teams needing renewal or clearer focus

Whatever the focus of change, appreciative inquiry frames the agenda affirmatively. So rather than delve into causes of conflict, AI seeks the sources of great cooperation. Instead of diagnosing the causes of turnover, AI improves retention by expanding the elements that enhance team engagement. Instead of looking for causes of low morale, the appreciative process searches for the root causes of greatest team excitement and energy.

When this positive bias is embedded in team relationships, a climate of infectious pride develops. This atmosphere nurtures fuller engagement, learning, trust and breakthrough results. One of our deepest human needs is satisfied in appreciative teams-to belong to a community where we are recognized for contributing our best.


For more information on using appreciative teambuilding in your organization, contact us at 888-672-1120 or email to inquire@teambuildinginc.com.

See related article "Appreciative Teambuilding: Creating a Climate for Great Collaboration by Jay K. Cherney, Ph.D."